Exquisite wallets made of chicken skin<\/p>\n
By R. Agus Bakti<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): A wallet is a friend on many occasions. It
\nholds one's identification, driver's license, car license number
\ncertificate, photographs and, of course, the all important money.<\/p>\n
Not surprisingly, the design and shape of wallets in the
\nmarket is varied. And the material comes from a wide range of
\nsources: from sheep, goats, cows, crocodiles and ostriches. And
\nit turns out that chicken's skin can also be used to make
\nwallets.<\/p>\n
Up to now, chickens have been used for their meat, eggs and
\nfeathers. But for Rakim Sumarto, a retired employee of the center
\nfor leather, rubber and plastic industrial goods in Yogyakarta,
\nchicken's skin can also be used as raw material to make leather
\ngoods.<\/p>\n
For the center's employees and students of the Yogyakarta's
\nAcademy of Leather Technology, leather goods made of chicken's
\nskin are no strange commodities. Many times, the students have
\nengaged in practical work and found the best formula to tan
\nchicken's skin.<\/p>\n
At his house at Jl. Gondosuli 142, Yogyakarta, Rakim said that
\npeople who never heard of leather goods made from chicken skin
\nwere surprised to hear about it.<\/p>\n
Before being used to make leather goods, chicken skin must
\nfirst be tanned. By a simple process of tanning, the skin becomes
\nflexible, supple and soft and it helps prevent it from going bad.<\/p>\n
However, not all the parts of chicken's skin are tanned. Only
\nthe legs, after the claws have been removed. Chicken's legs
\ncontain little meat so that when they are changed into a finished
\ncommodity, they yield a plus value.<\/p>\n
And it is interesting to note, at a closer look, that chicken
\nskin is as beautiful and attractive as reptile skin, common
\nmaterial used to produce leather goods.<\/p>\n
\"The surface of the skin of a chicken leg is strongly varied
\nin color and design. It is clearly visible upon closer
\ninspection,\" said Rakim.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, the types of chickens are highly varied.
\nPlymouth Rokes chickens have blackish yellow legs, Rhode Island
\nRed chickens have brownish yellow legs, Austrolop chickens have
\nyellow legs and Minorcos chickens have blackish gray legs.<\/p>\n
Ordinary chickens have lots of colors: gray, black, yellow or
\nthose with black or yellow spots. But during the tanning, the
\nskin of both ordinary or broiler chickens can be made neutral or
\ngiven color according to taste.<\/p>\n
But to obtain good quality, the process should be flawless,
\nincluding during the skinning. Special skill is needed to
\nseparate the skin from the bones and it has to be done precisely
\nto prevent the skin from tearing and to obtain maximum skin
\nsurface to make leather goods.<\/p>\n
The tanning method is quite similar to that of other skins.
\nThe first process is a beam house operation where the skin is
\nremoved, tanned and then finished. The process must follow the
\norder and can't be changed or reversed.<\/p>\n
After tanning the skin into leather, it is then made into
\nwallets. It can also be made into other goods, including bags,
\nbelts or accessories, such as earrings.<\/p>\n
\"It all depends on creativity, dedication and patience,\" said
\nRakim.<\/p>\n
A wallet requires at least nine sheets of chicken leather. The
\nsheets are then joined together. According to Rakim, zig-zag
\nsewing also gives good results.<\/p>\n
On average, the surface of chicken's skin is about 42 cms wide
\nand 0.8 mm in thickness. The small size of the leather is indeed
\nan impediment to the making of leather goods, especially those of
\nlarge sizes. But for Rakim, it is not a great obstacle.<\/p>\n
\"To arrange sheets of chicken leather is a special art,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
A standard-size wallet, after considering the costs of labor
\nand tanning, might fetch Rp 40,000, depending on its shape and
\ndesign. Leather goods requiring a greater number of leather
\nmaterials are more highly priced.<\/p>\n
And the quality of leather goods made from chicken's skin,
\naccording to tests -- including the use of chrome tanning
\nmaterials -- is fairly sturdy. It even has higher standards than
\nthose set by the Indonesian National Standards.<\/p>\n
But the marketing of chicken leather wallets is still limited
\nand mostly based on order.<\/p>\n
For Rakim, it is important to maintain a stock since raw
\nmaterials are easy to get. Chicken legs can be ordered in markets
\nwith a current price of Rp 200 a piece.<\/p>\n
And although he has retired, Rakim is not stopping his
\ncreative work as he needs the additional income. \"I don't think
\nmany people use chicken's skin to make leather goods. Perhaps I
\nam the only one in Yogyakarta,\" he said.<\/p>",
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